Track 5 of the EP Say It Plain · 2026

My Brother, You Were Always the Louder One

“My brother, you were always the louder one. I wrote the toast, tight tie and shaky notes and all, and I meant every word.”

acoustic · brotherly folk · toast ballad · 3:15

Lyrics

I've got a card with shaky notes
I've got a tie that's tight
You were the one with all the words
I was the one for the night
You taught me how to ride a bike
You taught me how to swear
You taught me how to stand up straight
When nobody was there

My brother, you were always the louder one
And I was the one who learned to stay
But I've got a glass and a steady voice
And a few small things to say
So here's to the boy with the scraped-up knees
Here's to the man you grew to be
My brother, you were always the louder one
And you made a quiet man of me

You borrowed twenty, paid it back
In biscuits and in jokes
You drove through snow to find me once
With a flask of tea and coke
You never said you loved me, but
You left the porch light on
You always saved the biggest slice
And never made it known

My brother, you were always the louder one
And I was the one who learned to stay
But I've got a glass and a steady voice
And a few small things to say
So here's to the boy with the scraped-up knees
Here's to the man you grew to be
My brother, you were always the louder one
And you made a quiet man of me

She's lucky, you're lucky
That's all I have to say
Be loud and be kind to each other
Every single day

My brother, you were always the louder one
And I was the one who learned to stay
But I've got a glass and a steady voice
And a few small things to say
So here's to the boy with the scraped-up knees
Here's to the man you grew to be
My brother, you were always the louder one
And you made a quiet man of me

You made a quiet man of me